Multi-target dart game

Abstract

A multiple target electronic dart gaming machine having shared electronic components. According to certain embodiments, the multiple targets are mounted on opposite sides of a game board of a target assembly that is housed in a cabinet of the gaming machine. The gaming machine may be floor-standing or wall mountable. Either affixed above the top of the target assembly, below the bottom of the target assembly, or both, is a visual display video monitor for providing players and observers with game scores and the like. The game board may be axially rotated between at least first and second positions so as to allow game play on the different targets. Additionally, the position of the game board may be detected through the use of a detector on or in the board.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A gaming machine having a game controller, the gaming machine comprising:
 a cabinet having a front portion and a back portion; 
 a game board rotatably secured to the cabinet, the game board having a first target side, a second target side, and a detector, the first target side being configured for game play of a first game, the second target side being configured for game play of a second game, the game board being rotatable about the cabinet between at least a first position and a second position, the first target side facing the front portion when the game board is in a first position and the second target side facing the front portion when the game board is in the second position, the detector being configured for the detection of a position of the game board relative to the cabinet, the game controller configured to determine whether the game board is in the first or second position based on the position of the game board detected by the detector; and 
 a latch mechanism operably connected to the game board and configured to engage the cabinet to releasably retain the game board in a first or second position, the latch mechanism having a handle and a bolt 
 wherein the first and second target sides are electronic dart games, and wherein the game controller is configured to deactivate the second target side when the game board is in the first position; 
 wherein the game controller is configured to detect whether the game board is positioned at an indeterminate position between the first and second positions, the game controller being further configured to deactivate both the first and second target sides when the game board is determined to be in an indeterminate position; 
 wherein the latch mechanism further includes at least one reinforcement protection block adjacent to the bolt that is configured to be received in recesses on the sides of the cabinet, the at least one reinforcement block configured to limit the movement of the game board when the game board is retained in the first or the second positions; and 
 wherein the latch mechanism includes a sensor configured to indicate user contact of the handle, and wherein the game controller is configured to deactivate the first and second target sides based on the sensed user contact with the handle. 
 
     
     
       2. The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the detector is a magnetic field detector, and wherein the cabinet includes a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet being oriented such that the magnetic field detector primarily detects a magnetic field associated with the first magnet having a polarity that is different than a polarity of the second magnet detected by the magnetic field detector, and wherein the game controller is configured to determine the position of the game board based on the polarity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detector. 
     
     
       3. The gaming machine of  claim 1 , wherein the same game controller is used for score detection for both the first target side and the second target side. 
     
     
       4. The gaming machine of  claim 3 , wherein the game board is configured to be rotated up to approximately 180 degrees. 
     
     
       5. A gaming machine comprising:
 a cabinet; 
 a target assembly secured to the cabinet, the target assembly having a multi-sided game board, a game controller, and a magnetic field detector, the multi-sided game board being rotatable about the cabinet between at least a first position and a second position, the multi-sided game board further including at least two target sides configured for play of electronic target game, the magnetic field detector being configured to detect a magnetic field generated by one or more magnets positioned in the cabinet, the game controller configured to determine whether the multi-sided game board is in a first or second position based on the polarity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detector 
 wherein the one or more magnets include a first magnet and a second magnet, the first magnet being positioned in proximity to a first side of the cabinet, the second magnet being position in proximity to a second side of the cabinet, the first magnet being oriented such that the magnetic field detector detects magnetic field having a polarity that is different than a polarity of the second magnet detected by the magnetic field detector. 
 
     
     
       6. The gaming machine of  claim 5 , wherein the multi-sided game board is configured to be rotated up to approximately 180 degrees. 
     
     
       7. The gaming machine of  claim 6 , wherein the same game controller is used for score detection for both the first target side and the second target side. 
     
     
       8. The gaming machine of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic target game of the first target side is different than the electronic target game of the second target side, and wherein the game controller is configured to deactivate the second target side when the game board is in the first position. 
     
     
       9. The gaming machine of  claim 7 , wherein the game controller is configured to detect whether the multi-sided game board is positioned at an indeterminate position between the first and second positions, the game controller being further configured to deactivate both the first and second target sides when the multi-sided game board is determined to be in an indeterminate position. 
     
     
       10. The gaming machine of  claim 9 , wherein the gaming machine further includes a latch mechanism configured to engage the cabinet to releasably retain the multi-sided game board in a first or second position, the latch mechanism having a handle and a bolt, the bolt being biased in a locked position, at least a portion of the handle configured to extend through an opening in the game board. 
     
     
       11. The gaming machine of  claim 10 , wherein the latch mechanism includes a sensor configured to indicate user contact of the handle, and wherein the game controller is configured to deactivate the first and second target sides based on the sensed user contact with the handle. 
     
     
       12. A gaming machine comprising:
 a cabinet having a first side and a second side; and 
 a target assembly secured to the cabinet, the target assembly having a multi-sided game board, a game controller, and a magnetic field detector, the multi-sided game board being rotatable about the cabinet between at least a first position and a second position, the multi-sided game board further including at least two target sides configured for play of electronic dart games, the magnetic field detector being configured to detect a first magnetic field generated by a first magnet positioned in proximity to the first side of the cabinet, and a second magnetic field generated by a second magnet positioned in proximity to the second side of the cabinet, the first and second magnetic fields having a different polarity, the game controller configured to determine whether the multi-sided game board is in a first or second position based on the polarity of the magnetic field detected by the magnetic field detector; and 
 wherein the game controller used for score detection for the first target side is the same game controller used for score detection for the second target side. 
 
     
     
       13. The gaming machine of  claim 12 , wherein the cabinet is configured to house a video display. 
     
     
       14. The gaming machine of  claim 12 , further including a payment mechanism operably connected to the cabinet. 
     
     
       15. The gaming machine of  claim 12 , wherein the cabinet is a floor standing cabinet having an upper portion, a body portion, and a back portion, the upper portion configured to house at least a portion of the multi-target game board, the back portion along the upper portion being inwardly offset from the back portion along the body portion.